Cast your mind back to the late seventies and early eighties. Remember when pyramids were all the rage? Claims were made about their ability to keep razors sharp or to aid in personal physical rejuvenation. Nonsense, perhaps, but there were people who truly believed in this stuff. Maybe they still do. Terry Pratchett used this phenomenon as the slender basis for the seventh novel in the Discworld series.
In this book, pyramids every bit as impressive as those of Egypt line the river of the desert kingdom of Djelibeybi. Yes, they can put a sharp edge on anything, including rolling pins (or so it is written), but their main power is to take time from the future and flare it off harmlessly into the atmosphere in the present. As a result, nothing has really changed in Djelibeybi for almost 7000 years, and there are people who want to keep it way.
Teppic, the son of king Pteppicyon XXVII, makes the extraordinary decision to acquire a trade in the world outside of the kingdom. When Teppic returns from his apprenticeship seven years later he becomes the pebble that starts an avalanche of change. What will become of Djelibeybi and its ancient culture? Whatever happens, it will probably have something to do with quantum.
Pyramids is an enjoyable book. While it lacks the memorable characters of the other Discworld novels, its structure is noteworthy. There are multiple story lines running throughout the book. These branch, intertwine, merge and branch again. Pratchett frequently interrupts the main story with digressions to the numerous sub-plots, and here we meet more than a few minor players. The reader has the opportunity to engage with these characters more thoroughly than they would in a strictly linear narrative; as a result, the story has a charming depth and diversity.
While it is not amongst the best of the Discworld novels, Pyramids is subtly comical and is sure to provide a satisfying reading experience.
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